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<p>This Department does not fund any single-faith groups. Our approach is to fund
projects that bring people of different faiths and backgrounds together, a policy
we feel that helps integrate people better and build stronger communities.</p><p>
</p><p>Examples of our integration projects include Near Neighbours and Together in
Service. These two programmes work with both places of worship and secular venues
to encourage interfaith collaboration. Near Neighbours is designed to bring people
together in religiously and ethnically diverse communities, by helping to create multi-faith
events that encourage social interaction; whilst Together in Service celebrates social
action projects based around each of the faith communities’ religious festivals or
volunteering days, designed to inspire new work around multi-faith volunteering projects.</p><p>
</p><p>Not all projects under the Near Neighbours programme work from or with a place
of worship. However, there are examples that do. Phase one witnessed funding being
used to establish a local Jewish-Christian Forum in Stamford Hill, London; whilst
under Phase 2, following an arson attack by the English Defence League on their centre,
the Somali Bravanese Welfare Association in London was welcomed by a local synagogue
to celebrate Eid together. 400 people gathered to celebrate.</p><p> </p><p>Again,
with Together in Service, not all projects work from or with a place of worship. However,
there are examples that do. Under the Department’s Together in Service programme,
St Paul’s Church in Birmingham is tackling community cohesion and integration through
advice and support for various faith groups, whilst Trinity at Bowes Methodist Church
and Community Centre aims to build better connections between different faith communities
in their local area through a series of activities in order to prevent people becoming
isolated.</p>
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